Biennial / LUX programme 2
Cert. 12A

Three artists film screenings around the idea of bad guests programmed by LUX

The films range from a fictional story about a half-constructed house occupied by squatters (who may also be ghosts), to a video diary by a Czech filmmaker living with his parents, and a damning documentary portrait of tourists in Papua New Guinea. What they all have in common are people who, deliberately or otherwise, are stretching hospitality to its limits.

We, The Normal

George Kuchar / USA / 1988 / 11mins On a back-to-nature trip to see friends in Boulder, Colorado, George goes to the mountains, but goes on the rocks emotionally.

Joe Di Maggio 1, 2, 3

Anne McGuire / USA / 1991 / 11mins The artist stalks and serenades Joe Dimaggio in her car as he strolls the docks, unaware that McGuire is secretly videotaping his every step.

Such a Nice Boy I Gave Birth To

Marcin Koszałka / 1999 / Czech Republic / 25 min Taking the example of his own family, Marcin Koszałka depicts the hell of everyday family existence. Koszałka's mother, who loves her adult son dearly, torments him with a constant flow of grudges and complaints on account of his being a moron, nonentity and professional student, who finally managed to pass the entrance exam to the faculty of cinematography, and who, due to the lack of imagination, walks about the house with the camera and shoots anything he comes across. Right after its release, the film caused a lot of stir, today the film is considered a classic among Polish documentaries.

Rotterdam-Rostock

Erik van Lieshout / 2006 / Netherlands & Germany / 17mins Van Lieshout cycles from his native Rotterdam to Rostock in eastern Germany, documenting his often uncomfortable encounters along the way. (Rotterdam-Rostock is normally exhibited as an installation, screened in a specially built structure which creates an even more uncomfortable intimacy between the audience and van Lieshout.)

Terracotta Warrior

Pablo Wendel / China / 2007 / 9 mins During a tour of the Terracotta Army in North West China, it becomes apparent that there is one more terracotta warrior than normal...